Alter Ego
by kitty-moogles
Summary: When Kel is pushed into attending a set of balls under a different name and appearance, chaos ensues, and suddenly all the other pages are falling for her alter ego. Chapter 6 posted finally.
1. Chapter 1

**---------------Alter-Ego****---------------**  
**Chapter 1  
**

"You know what I'm going to have today? Chicken. Or maybe if they have some lamb... I'm quite partial to lamb. It's a shame the kitchens don't do anything fancy with it. I mean, lamb is lamb, but lamb is _very nice lamb _when you -"

Kel stood by her hyperactive friend and attempted to quell the desire to pinch him. "I have an idea, Neal, they have broccoli today. Broccoli's tasty. Someone once told me that broccoli goes very nicely with lamb and chicken, so do have some, won't you?"

Neal narrowed his eyes. "That's a lie!" he accused. "This is just another part of your dastardly scheme to force those slimy green things down my throat!"

She sighed resignedly. "Well, ok, Neal. Have as much lamb as you like." He gaped at her, and she pushed him. "The queue is moving, and you're holding everyone up."

When they were sat down comfortably in their usual seats, Wyldon stood and cast his steely eyes across the room. Anyone on the receiving end of his gaze immediately fell silent.

"A Tyran embassy will be arriving next week. To show them Tortall's good people, there will be four balls, although your attendance is optional. Any page who does not do their work and offers excuses such as "I was at the ball all evening," will receive two bells of punishment work for each offence. However, the pages' service _will_ be required on Monday night at the welcoming banquet. Report to Master Oakbridge at 6 bells past noon, and do _not _be late." He paused, and then ended, "Garvey of Runnerspring and Vinson of Genlith, report to me after your meal."

As he sat, conversation blossomed in the room. Neal's voice was among the loudest.

"Balls? And attendance is optional. Well, _that's _a laugh!"

Kel looked up. "Huh? So you're going?"

"Are you _kidding?_" he asked incredulously. "Of course I'm going!"

Kel's eyebrows furrowed in her confusion. "What? We have far too much work already - there's no time for optional balls!"

Neal grinned contagiously. "Kel, Kel, Kel... let me clarify things for you. Think about it - an embassy? This is important stuff! Anyone who's anyone will be there... _including_ all the court ladies! There's normally an influx of convent graduates around this time of year, too - exciting, right?"

Kel's heart wrenched. _Damn him! I wish he didn't talk about women like that in front of me. It just reminds me even more that I'm only his friend. True, he's 18, five years older than me and most of the others - and I suppose he does want to do all these adult things, as he is an adult himself... but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt!_

Kel took a bite of her meat. _Should I go, then? Well, let's think about it; do I want to stand around watching all the boys, Neal in particular, flirting with court ladies? Who'd want to dance with me? Maybe Neal would dance with me once, but that would just make the rest of the ball seem even worse. I hate this! If I didn't have a crush on him then I don't think I'd care if Neal spent all his time with noble ladies._

The thirteen-year-old female page put down her fork. "Well, I'm not going to go. I have far too much work to do and I don't want my Sunday to be wasted doing punishment."

"Fair enough," Neal said, shrugging. He didn't look disappointed at all. "What about you lot?"

"I'll tag along," Merric said. Seaver, Cleon and the others all rapidly agreed. The only one who said he'd rather stay behind was Roald, but he had to go anyway because he was the Prince.

Struggling to swallow her emotions, Kel inhaled the rest of her food and said a hasty goodbye. Thrusting her cutlery and plate at the servants, she strolled from the mess, unaware that several pairs of eyes were watching her.

"Do you think something's wrong?" Cleon asked, having seen her march out the door.

"It's probably 'that time of month'," Seaver answered slowly. "Blood loss or something, makes girls kind of weird."

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Over the next two days, most of the pages dismissed Kel's exit as "a consequence of her monthlies", and quickly forgot it ever happened. No one questioned Kel about the "incident". She was, however, not quite herself (not that anyone really noticed) - she was more withdrawn during mealtimes and lessons and spent more time working alone in her room than with their study group. She barely noticed this herself, being too busy with the banquet to even have time to think.

The banquet eventually passed without mishap (for Kel's group of friends, at least - Joren spilt wine all over the floor, and several of his friends slipped on it before it was cleaned up), and Tuesday's lessons zipped past in a violent blur. The first ball was that night, and they would continue until the weekend. The boys didn't attend dinner, instead getting ready for the ball, so Kel ate alone, picking at her meal in miserable loneliness. She didn't know the other two pages who had decided not to go, and was in such a depressed mood that she didn't feel like going over to introduce herself.

That evening, Kel buckled down to some maths sums while Lalasa repaired one of her torn shirts in the window seat, but with the scratch of Jump's claws on the floor and the fluttering of sparrow wings filling the room, Kel found it impossible to work. Eventually she moved to the library. That was where she stayed until the bell rang, telling her to return to her rooms.

When she stumbled in through her door, a stack of books in her arms, she dropped them on top of her chest of drawers and closed the door. She began to make her way to the privy - and then she saw it. Lalasa was working on a glorious dress, displayed on a wooden manikin. Kel scowled - talk about a reminder. Her evening had been downright miserable and she knew that all the boys would be talking of the court ladies all the next day.

"Is that manikin yours?" she asked, trying not to look annoyed.

"Oh - no, I borrowed it from a friend. I only need it this once. This dress needed a few finishing touches and it's already too late for the first ball so I needed to get it done, and I know you hate standing around for ages while I check all the measurements and make adjustments."

Kel stopped in her tracks, turning in the privy doorway to stare at her maid. "What, it's for _me_?"

Lalasa risked a little nod.

"But... I'm not going to any of the embassy balls."

Lalasa shrugged, trying to hide disappointment. "Not even one?" she asked eventually.

Kel looked down at her feet guiltily. It was then that she saw the skirts of the dress brushing the floor and looked up to admire its beauty.

The entire garment was constructed from a rich, dusky pink muslin with darker purple-pink for the bodice. The fabric cascaded to the floor in drifting folds and just barely scraped the floor of Kel's room. The neckline hung a little too low for Kel's liking, but, if anything, she liked the tiny white beads and embroidery sliding along the hips and up towards the shoulders. There were no sleeves.

Kel took a deep breath. "Oh, Lalasa, it's beautiful, and I wish I could wear it, but I already told everyone I'm not going. I know this sounds really selfish of me but I know they'll really tease me if I go because I said I wouldn't, and I'd be bored anyway because they're going to be flocking round the court ladies and flirting... and I can't because, well, I'm a girl... I'm really sorry. There will probably be another ball or something soon - I can wear it then..."

Lalasa smiled wanly. "You'll probably grow out of it by then. It's too delicate to adjust the size now."

The look on her maid's face made Kel feel like she'd just crushed Lalasa and told her that she would never open a dress shop because 'I'm taking all your wages now'. "Gods, Lalasa, I really wish I could go," she began, striding to the manikin and touching the fabric. "It's just - I know that I'd have a horrible time. The boys treat me like a boy too, and that's good most of the time, but when it's times like this they forget that I can't just go lose myself in a crowd of ladies like they can. Maybe if they just acknowledge the fact that I'm female then I'd have more fun!" She threw up her hands in frustration, and then she glimpsed Lalasa's face.

She was... grinning...? Slyly?

"I -" Kel began, but she was cut off as her maid shook her head.

"What if," Lalasa said, "you didn't go as yourself?"

Kel stared. "Uh... what are you trying to suggest?"

"I can get a wig," Lalasa said, suddenly business-like, "face paint... there are potions, eye drops that change the colour of your eyes. Think - a decent corset and my dress, you'll look different enough. The boys will be blown away - they'll still be seeing you, but just... a different _colour _you. You can tell them you're somebody else, have fun, and find out what being a lady is like!"

"Uh... I'm not sure..."

"Go on," Lalasa urged. "If you don't like it you can always leave."

"Well..."

"Ok, good. I can get everything tomorrow while you're in your lessons; just try and practise being a bit more lady-like." She smiled brightly. "Look, you're late for bed. I'll put the dress in your wardrobe."

When Kel wandered out the privy in her nightgown a few moments later, the manikin was gone and Lalasa was just closing the shutters. "Goodnight, my lady." She snuffed out her lamp and disappeared into the darkness.

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**So, here's my new story. Hope you like. I shouldn't really post a new one when I'm really lagging on updates for my other stories, but I've been so busy with school and this was a wild plot bunny that wouldn't go away. ****Contrary to my usual pairing, this will NOT be KN. I'd like to do an odd pairing, though I've yet to decide which. Feedback, please?**


	2. Chapter 2

**---------------Alter-Ego****---------------**  
**Chapter 2**

"Kel, have you hurt your leg? I keep seeing you walking strangely."

Kel cringed and looked up. "Uh, um, yes, I've... It's just a little stiff..." she lied, trying to smile convincingly.

Neal stared at her funny. "Do you want me to take a look?"

"No," she said hurriedly. "No, don't worry about it, it's not that bad."

"Oh. Right. Well, tell me if it gets worse, okay?"

"Sure," she agreed, although she knew it wouldn't get any worse because it wasn't even real. She'd actually been trying to walk like a lady. Neal was the second person to ask if she'd hurt her leg, and now she knew there was no way she'd manage to drift across the floor like the ladies of court did. She'd never realized walking neatly was quite so hard. It didn't help that she was starting to be tormented by nerves. There were a few scant hours until the ball - one more lesson until she would have to rush back to her rooms and walk out a different person.

Cleon approached her as the group of pages walked to Master Ivor's room for mathematics.

"Is everything ok, Kel? You've been a bit, uh, spaced out today."

_Gack! Think of something!_

"Uh, no, I'm fine. Just a bit tired. I think I'll get some extra sleep this evening while you're at the ball," she invented.

"Was it ok last night? You weren't lonely or stuck on your work, were you? Because if you were, just say and I'll stay behind with you."

_Wha...! NO! Quick, tell him you weren't bored at all..._

"No, of course not. I got a lot of work done - please don't stay behind. I wouldn't want you to miss out on the fun." Quickly she feigned a yawn, bringing a hand up to her mouth. "I'll be sleeping tonight anyway, so I probably couldn't be bored if I tried."

"Hmm," he said, but appeared convinced by her lie. "Well, okay. I suppose I'd better get ready for Master Ivor's wrath - you and Roald are the only ones who did last night's problems, and he was up all night doing it." He grinned wildly. "Our Prince looks like a walking zombie."

As they walked into the room, Cleon gripped her shoulder before leaving her side to head to his seat.

Ivor was not at all pleased that only two of the pages had done the problems he had set the day before. He gave each boy four extra sums on top of the three he set every lesson, but promised he would not report them to Lord Wyldon for this first offense. Instead, he calmly informed them that anyone who did not do every single sum he'd set would get three bells of punishment work instead of Wyldon's two. This also included Kel and Roald, even though they'd done last night's sums.

Neal leaned over to Kel and whispered, "Well, punishment work for me on Sunday!"

_Oh, gods, _Kel thought despairingly. _I'll be at the ball and won't be able to do the sums either. Why in Tortall did I agree to this? Oh. Right. I didn't - Lalasa agreed for me._

"You're going to be doing punishment work on Sundays until you die," Kel informed her friend. She waited until he turned his attention to Ivor again, and then murmured beneath her breath, "And gods, I'll probably be doing it with you."

In Kel's opinion, the lesson ended far too early. Master Ivor dismissed them with another warning about the sums he'd set, although none of the boys looked particularly grim after the reminder and all hurried off to their rooms to get ready for the ball, leaving Kel alone in the corridor. She took a huge breath and followed them down the halls to the pages' wing.

Lalasa met her in the doorway of her room. The door was slammed shut and Lalasa ordered, "Quickly, lean your head back." Kel did as she was told. "Keep your eyes open for a second," she was told, and then Lalasa was holding a tiny bottle and letting a drop or two of clear liquid to drip into each of Kel's eyes. She blinked.

"Ok, there's the eye drops. I got some hot water for you, but don't wash your hair or get it wet because I don't think we have time to let it dry. Scrub all your skin really hard." Kel followed these orders, scrubbing and soaping until her skin was almost raw, and then she got out and toweled herself dry.

"Lalasa, what next?"

"Put on your undergarments," her maid called, "and come stand over here. I don't mean to order you around, lady Kel, but we've no time to lose!"

Kel followed Lalasa's orders as quickly as she could, blushing only a little as she bared her ninety-five percent naked body to the room. Her maid appeared with a corset in hand and promptly stuffed her into it. Next came the dress - there was an underskirt she had to put on first, and then the rest followed. Before she could look in her mirror, Lalasa dragged her to a chair in the middle of the room. Briskly, her hair was slicked back and the wig was jammed onto her scalp. It was fiddled with for a while until it didn't wobble, and then Lalasa brought out some face paints.

Kel insisted she didn't want too much, so Lalasa hurriedly talked her through each thing she was applying to her face. One thing Kel wouldn't allow was the plucking of her eyebrows with delicate tweezers - "I am not having my eyebrows ripped off! The pages would notice it before they grew back!" she argued heatedly.

"As you wish," Lalasa said (Kel thought she saw her maid roll her eyes, but Lalasa was much too polite to do such a thing, surely).

Her maid added the finishing touches, smoothing muslin, patting hair and re-applying lip rouge until she was completely satisfied with the results. Finally she helped Kel up and guided her to the full-length mirror by her wardrobe.

Kel gaped. "Oh... my..." The only thing she could think of to do was reach out and touch the glass to check the mirror was real. "I look... completely..."

A tumble of stormy auburn-red curls fell to her shoulders, and, when lit by the dim sunlight filtering through her window, it appeared a deeper crimson, like blood. Her skin, saturated with creams and powder, was radiant and of even tone, and a light blush coloured her cheeks, accentuated by the sunset-pink of the dress. Kel was pleased to see that her face paint looked largely natural - her lips were slightly redder than their natural colour, but it didn't look fake, and Lalasa hadn't gone overboard with the eye make-up (Kel had seen many nobles with so much eye kohl that they looked like Carthakis - a.k.a. ridiculous). Overall, Kel thought, the dress brought out the red streaks in her wig and made her skin look more peachy, and somehow she didn't recognise herself at all.

"Have your eyes changed yet? The eye drops take a while to work, so I did them first."

Kel squinted at her reflection and saw that her irises were still the same colour. "If they take a while then they'd better hurry up," she said, narrowing her eyes at the reflection. And then, as she watched, the hazel began to melt to a warm caramel-brown.

Lalasa appeared beside her holding a jar of something. "Here, hold out your hands," she instructed. "All this page training makes your skin rough - this cream will make them smooth. Rub it into your hands."

Kel eyed her creamy hands with distaste and made to wipe them on her skirts, but Lalasa grabbed her wrists to stop her. The female page sighed and continued to rub in the cream.

"Have you thought of a name yet? I think you should pretend to be about 15 or 16. With your height, structure, dress and face paint, I think you'll pass. And of what fief will you be? It would be hard to name one here in Tortall because if anyone contacted that fief asking about you then you'd be revealed..."

"I could say I'm from Galla," Kel suggested. "I came over here to... go to the convent in Tortall?"

"Hmm. Something like that."

Somewhere in the depths of the palace, a bell rang. Lalasa looked up sharply as the clanging reached her ears, and moved towards the door. "You're going to be late. Listen, think of a name on the way there, and if anyone sees you just tell them you're lost. And if anything goes wrong, make your excuses and come back here as quickly as you can."

Having reached the door, Lalasa grabbed the door handle, opened it, and peeked out into the corridor. "The coast is clear!" she told Kel quietly. "Go before someone sees. Good luck!" Kel nervously left her rooms, and hovered round the door after Lalasa shut it firmly. Eventually, feeling extremely nervous and vulnerable, Kel began to drift down the corridor in her dress.

A minute or so into her journey down the halls, she rounded the corner and was confronted with a large flock of court ladies. They nodded in acknowledgment of her presence, but didn't speak, and Kel continued, strengthening her Yamani mask as well as she could. Anyone she passed left her alone, but their continuous presence began to get to her so, eventually, she decided to take a different route down to the ballroom where no one wandered. She was just dawdling down one of the empty corridors when she heard a single pair of footsteps, and froze. Everyone else she had met had been in groups, too distracted by their friends to bother her - Kel was immediately terrified that this person would confront her.

Quickly she feigned interest in a painting hung upon the wall, and hoped she would look like she didn't want to be talked to.

The footsteps came nearer, and then stopped.

"Excuse me for disturbing you, but are you lost? Maybe I can help you."

Kel turned round slowly, wishing desperately the owner of the male voice would go away, and glanced up at his face.

She knew him.

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**Why, that was a rather evil cliffhanger! When you find out who it is next chapter, you'll probably be very surprised (I wanted to surprise you and be extremely anti-cliché). Anyhoo, I think I've decided on a pairing, though I'm not going to reveal it yet. HOWEVER, it will definitely not be KN, KD, KC or KJ. The response for Chapter 1 was amazing, so thanks to everyone who read/reviewed - next chapter will hopefully be up by the end of the week. See you then!**


	3. Chapter 3

**---------------Alter-Ego****---------------  
Chapter 3**

She couldn't recall his name, but she remembered his face. He had been a senior page a year or two ago. Presumably he was a squire now, back at the castle with his knight master during a lull in the bandit season. She had never been very good friends with him but she had thought him kind and strong from what little she had seen of him.

She pulled herself together and mustered a tiny smile. "It's a little embarrassing, but I'm new to court and I don't know where I am at all..."

He grinned. She noted his short, scruffy hair was a darker brown than it had been when he was a page. "I'm Yancen of Irenroha. I know my way round the palace better than most – I'm a squire. The corridors around here are a little daunting. Listen, if you don't know how to get about, I could escort you to the ballroom. That way you won't get lost."

"You're too kind, thank you," she accepted after a short pause. The monstrous difficulty of the hours ahead suddenly hit her – she didn't know anything about the manners she would be expected to use or the way she ought to walk and sit. Dancing wouldn't be too much of a problem; all the pages learnt dancing and she'd known a little from home as well. If she observed the other court ladies, she might be able to copy them and scrape by.

As she took Yancen's offered arm, he looked at her closely and, after a moment of silence, asked her name. Mind frantically whirring, she hid her stuttering, swallowed hard and invented, "Mia of... Polar's Cliff."

She had once known a girl named Mia in the Yamani Isles, a very pretty little girl with strange amber-orange eyes. Kel therefore thought that, as her own eyes were now a similar caramel hue, it was ironically appropriate. Polar's Cliff had spewed from her mouth without her thinking; it seemed oddly familiar. She hoped desperately that it wasn't familiar because it was in Tortall or the learning curriculum of the pages' academic lessons.

"Mia... a beautiful name. But Polar's Cliff? I don't think I recognise it..."

"It's in Galla," Kel supplied quickly. "I lived there before coming to the Tortallan convent."

Yancen looked at her in a way that made Kel feel uncomfortable. "You should tell me about Galla. I'd like to go there one day."

_I'd love to, but there's one tiny little problem; I've never been there in my life..._

Kel let the edges of her lips curl up sweetly and answered, hoping it wouldn't sound rude, "Maybe another time?"

He smiled back slyly. "That sounds like a plan... I'll look forward to it."

As they reached a crowd of nobles waiting to be announced, Yancen was distracted, and Kel looked to the side and let her mortification slip through. What she'd just said was practically flirting! And from the way he'd reacted, he certainly thought it was too...

Yancen led her through the crowd to the huge wooden doors, making a beeline for the herald. Kel realised they were skipping the entire queue. "Wait! Shouldn't we be waiting our turn like everyone else?"

Yancen grinned and tapped the side of his nose. "Tonight's herald is a friend of mine, and he owes me a favour," he explained.

He made to continue walking, but Kel held out her arm. "Please don't waste your favour on me," she said anxiously. She felt so phony underneath the wig and all the make-up and she hated to think that Yancen might waste something on someone who wasn't even real, just an ugly female page in disguise.

"Don't be ridiculous," he insisted, stepping round her arm. "I want to."

Kel supposed that would probably be something her sisters would describe as "sweet", if you could compare a boy to honey or anything similarly sugary. _I probably wouldn't describe him as 'sweet', _she thought, _but he is _very_ kind._

He took her silence as one of acceptance and exchanged a few words with the herald. The next thing Kel knew, she had taken his arm and they were standing at the top of the grand staircase, gazing down at the heads of everyone else. A few faces looked up at them. Kel recognised one or two, but she couldn't see Neal or any of her other friends.

"A bit daunting, isn't it?" Yancen murmured out the corner of his mouth. "Just smile, it'll be over soon." He reached across with his other arm and patted her forearm reassuringly. Their names were called in the herald's clear, echoing voice.

Gliding down the steps, Kel saw more heads turning and noted (with distinct anxiety) that some were turning to whisper to their companions. She hoped that they were not muttering because she'd somehow screwed up her lady-act before the ball had barely even started.

The throng of nobles was almost overwhelming. As they reached the bottom, Yancen glanced up at the herald standing by the huge doors and smiled at him, and then he turned to Kel. "The music won't start for a while yet, so would you like to meet some of my fellow pages and squires?" he asked, a ghost of a smile on his face.

_I've probably met most of them already, _she thought jokingly, but replied, "Certainly," with as much enthusiasm as she could gather. He led her through the thriving crowd of nobles to a group of boys at the back, clumped together in their wait for the music to start. Apparently none of them had the courage to go up to speak to any of the ladies until the musicians began to play.

As they approached, she saw one of the tallest of them turn, see them, and nudge a couple of the boys beside him. Kel swallowed hard. She was more nervous than she had expected to be.

"Hey Yancen!" one of the boys greeted. Kel saw it was Faleron of King's Reach. "Long time no see!"

"Yeah, I've been out in the east fighting a wave of bandits," he said casually. Quickly he glanced sideways at Kel as though only just remembering that she was on his arm and his voice changed to a more polite tone. "Everyone, this is Mia of Polar's Cliff. She's new to court."

Kel curtsied on cue and a few of the others bowed back, introducing themselves, complimenting her dress or her hair, and kissing her hand. Kel attempted to smile and laugh politely and curtsey again at all the right times. Among the group of boys were Faleron, Neal, Merric and a few other boys she didn't know well. She didn't think she could remember their names, so she hoped that they wouldn't ask her to dance.

Neal hovered over to Yancen's side. "Did you see Roald when you were coming down the staircase?" he asked Yancen, but he was looking at Kel.

Yancen regarded Neal for a moment, and then replied in an emotionless tone, "No, but I expect he's with the King and the Tyran royalty."

"Oh," Neal said lightly, seemingly unhurt by Yancen's blank, slightly unfriendly voice. "I was thinking I could introduce Lady Mia to him, but if he's with the King we can hardly interrupt."

_Oh, _Kel thought, realisation dawning. Neal had been trying to draw her away from Yancen, or at least get her attention. Several conflicting emotions bombarded her; a strange tingling from all the looks and attention she was getting, warmth at the idea of Neal wanting to spend time with her, and dismay at the way she was enjoying it all. _I shouldn't be happy about Neal, _she told herself sternly. _He only sees another pretty face. _

"Would you like to come and get something to drink, Lady Mia?" Yancen asked quickly, already edging away from Neal.

"Yes, thank you," she replied gratefully. Her nerves were making her mouth extremely dry. She paused for a moment, and then added, "But please, just call me Mia." Kel couldn't think of a valid reason for her request, so she didn't add one. Instead she tried to pound it into her head that Mia was her name; she was petrified that, when someone said her name, she wouldn't understand they were talking to or about her, or that she'd say, "Who? Me?" or something similarly dimwitted.

Kel asked for wine when Yancen enquired as to what she wanted, and he retrieved two glasses from a nearby servant. Sipping from her glass, Kel decided the drink tasted disgusting, which was just as well as she definitely did not want a hangover in the morning. Suddenly, from behind her, a chord was struck, and a lonely flute began a melody. Other instruments began to join. Soon the room became a heaving mass as couples moved to the dance floor. Yancen asked her to dance, and Kel agreed, if only for the excuse to give her wine back to the servant.

"I hope you're not going to judge me for my dancing," Kel said quickly as he took one of her hands. "It wasn't really one of my strong points at the convent."

"I'm sure you're not nearly as bad as you think," he replied, smiling charmingly. She smiled back, hoping her nerves weren't showing; he was a little too close for her comfort.

He made small-talk as they danced. After a while, though, she grew bored of it. Instead of talking about anything interesting like his training or even bragging about all the bandits he'd killed, he mentioned a few events at court and enquired about her journey to Corus from the convent or how much she liked it at the palace. She was too nervous about possibly giving something away to ask about what a squire's life was like, so she politely answered all his questions and tried to keep an attentive look on her face while she daydreamed.

When the last note died away, Yancen told her that some of his friends would probably come to ask her to dance. Moments after he said it, a boy appeared at her side, and Yancen bowed to Kel and left.

"Hello," the boy beside her greeted, the voice making Kel's heart pound twice as hard. "Do you remember me from earlier? Yancen introduced you to my friends and I. I'm Nealan, though having said that, I'd much rather be called Neal."

"Neal... hmm, I think I remember you," Kel said, trying to add a subtle accent to her voice to disguise it.

"Well, I certainly remember _you, _Lady Mia. I spotted your beauty from afar, and I just had to come and ask -" Neal paused, grinning, and Kel briefly wandered how he got away with such comments, but then he finished, "would you perhaps honour me with a dance?"

_Do I honestly have a choice? _"Of course," Kel replied with a small smile, fighting to keep her stray emotion under check. Neal bowed again and began to move closer.

_Oh Gods, _Kel thought, heat flaring up her body as Neal positioned his hand on her hip. _How am I going to get through this without blushing myself to death?_

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**Sorry for not updating sooner - I said it'd be up by the end of last week... I had English coursework, then I got a cold, and then on Friday Kingdom Hearts 2 came out in the UK (yay!). About the pairing: I have decided on one, but so many people mentioned KelRoald in their reviews that I'm not sure which to do. However, as I've already said, it WILL NOT be KN, KJ, KD, KC or KelYancen, no matter what. By the way, does anyone remember Yancen? I think he was mentioned once or twice in First Test/Page. Anyhoo, thanks to everyone for your reviews. Your response has been extremely helpful, but I'd like more feedback on the pairing if possible, please. I'll post the next chapter as soon as possible.**


	4. Chapter 4

**---------------Alter-Ego****---------------**  
**Chapter 4**

"Have you been shopping in Corus since you arrived?"

Kel shook her head and felt her auburn curls wobble. _What would a lady say? _"No, but I hope to go soon."

Neal offered a wide smile that suddenly made Kel painfully aware of all the places he was _still _touching her. _Gods, why does this song seem to be going on forever? I would've thought I'd enjoy dancing with Neal, but it's exactly the opposite! _Then Kel realised Neal was talking and she hurriedly focused on his voice again.

"...other people to go with, but I'd be honoured to show you around Corus on Sunday."

Kel's mind whirred for a moment before she understood what he was offering and stifled the urge to laugh. He couldn't show anyone around anywhere on Sunday. He'd be doing punishment work all day for all the work he'd not done during the week. Maybe he was planning to skip the punishment work to show "Mia" around, only to get triple as much later? _But that's ridiculous! _Kel thought disbelievingly._ All that work for a couple of hours with a pretty girl? He's out of his mind! _

_Well, that doesn't change the fact that I can't accept his offer. I'll have punishment work that day too, and unlike him I actually intend to do it. Not only that but I'm never going to be Mia again. I can't believe I even went along with it in the first place - I'm deceiving everyone and missing out on work that I really ought to do. _

It took only a few seconds to create an excuse. Kel took a deep breath and gushed, "I wish I could, Nealan-- I mean, Neal, but I only came to Tortall to go to the convent. My home fief is in Galla, and I'm returning there on Saturday." She paused and then added, "And as much as I'd like to, I don't think I'll be coming back to Tortall."

Neal gaped at her. "You won't?" he said, as if hoping she'd admit that she'd been joking. Kel felt her heart wrench as what had once been a charming smile crumbled away into disbelief and then resignation. "Oh."

Kel rushed to reassure him. "I didn't think I'd like it here, but I really do, and there are a lot of nice people that I've met, including you, of course, so I'll be really sad to go. It's just... my father is already making marriage plans with nobles in Galla, so I can't stay. If it's any consolation, I'll be at all the balls this week, so it's not like we won't see each other again..."

"I suppose that's a _small _consolation," he said, smiling wanly. "If only I didn't have lessons during the day, I'd show you around then."

Kel almost tripped over her skirts as she considered her reply. Somehow she had to keep the conversation going - all ladies learnt that kind of thing at the convent, which, evidently, Kel hadn't been to. At that moment she almost wished she had. "Oh... so..." she cringed and finished lamely, "you're a page?"

Neal didn't seem to notice her struggle with a conversation topic and grinned. "You're thinking I look older than my page friends, aren't you?" At this his chest seemed to inflate outwards several inches, probably for good reason. The ladies who had just escaped the convent would hardly take a young boy of eleven or twelve seriously, page or no. Most ladies married men many years their senior. "I started training five years late. At first I wanted to be a healer, but I changed my mind and became a page. Though I still practise my skills once in a while."

"Ah," Kel said weakly, trying to feign a look of interest while she absorbed this information she'd already heard several times as Neal's best friend. "And do you enjoy being a page?"

Neal was silent for a moment. "...For the most part, yes." He was smiling again, and once again it set Kel's heart racing. "Sometimes I hate all the work we're given, and I'm so tired I can hardly walk in a straight line, but it's great really. There are a lot of nice people at the palace. Some... some aren't so nice." Kel followed his gaze to Joren and Garvey standing at the edge of the dance floor. "Just a tip - stay away from the blonde page and his friends. They're... rough, if you get my meaning."

Kel nodded firmly - as if she needed warning to avoid Joren at all costs. She'd flee from him like the plague if he came near - and if she couldn't, she'd show him "Mia" wasn't the pretty, gentle lady she appeared to be. That raised another issue, though - what if someone worked out who she really was? What could she do then? She might be forced to reveal a few skills an ordinary lady wouldn't have, or something awful might happen like her wig falling off or her eyes changing colour before she got back to the safety of her rooms. Kel knew that she had to prepare for the possibility that something might threaten the safety of her disguise.

"Speaking of nice people at the palace, shall we go back to my friends? The song's about to end," Neal explained.

Kel smiled and said, "I'd like that." Placing a hand on his arm still sent shivers down her spine, but at least it was better than dancing with him. With a polite smile, she listened attentively to the small talk he made as they crossed the room to Neal's group of friends. They were all still there. It seemed none of them had plucked up the courage to ask anyone else for a dance.

Once they got there, Neal mentioned that she was leaving for Galla on Saturday, and a flood of questions followed: what is Polar's Cliff like? Is Tortall different to Galla much? Have you met Daine the Wildmage, who's also from Galla? Kel invented answers as best she could with a blank smile set on her face, though inside her heart was beating faster than it had ever pounded doing exercise and her palms were slippery with sweat. The last thing Kel felt like was a lady.

Eventually answering the questions grew more difficult as she had to remember the answers she'd given to earlier questions to make sure that newer answers weren't incompatible or didn't make sense. "I thought I'd be dancing and enjoying myself at this ball, not being interrogated," she joked smoothly, once the pressure really started to get to her. The boys laughed and Kel congratulated herself - maybe she was getting used to this conversation lark.

"If that's so, maybe you'd like to dance with me next?" Merric offered, his cheeks almost as flaming as his hair. Before Kel could reply, Neal cut in.

"Sorry, Merric, but I already promised Lady Mia I'd introduce her to Prince Roald, and it looks like he's free."

Merric scowled but didn't object.

Kel followed Neal's lead by thanking him and, as they were about to leave, she turned to Merric and said, "Maybe later?"

His cheeks flushed again and he nodded. As Neal led her away Kel distinctly heard the words "hog" and "unfair" from behind them. She smiled to herself at the way the boys were always best of friends until it came to sharing pretty ladies.

Neal took her straight to the Prince, who wasn't quite as free as Neal had said. Roald was standing with two middle-aged nobles who were arguing amongst each other. Occasionally he put in a polite sentence or nodded solemnly but otherwise he was silent, and the nobles never spoke to him directly to invite him into the conversation. Upon seeing Neal and "Mia", Roald caught the two nobles' attention and said quietly, "If you'll excuse me," before turning away from them. Then he quickly glanced at his friend and Mia. "Hello, Neal. Have you brought someone for me to meet?"

"Yes, I have," Neal said jovially. "This is Lady Mia of Polar's Cliff in Galla. Lady Mia, this is Prince Roald, my friend."

"Pleased to meet you," Roald said, bowing. Kel curtsied back. "I paid a visit to Cría when I was younger, and it is a very beautiful city."

_I don't know why he's complimenting Cría, _Kel thought. _It's not like I own it. _"Thank you," Kel said anyway, pretending to be pleased.

"It would be rude of me not to ask now we've been introduced, so would you like to dance with me?"

There was only one reply to the offer of a dance from the Crown Prince. "I'd be honoured."

Neal's face immediately began to contort into a scowl. Roald smiled at him and said mildly, "Is something wrong, Neal?"

"Not at all," Neal replied through gritted teeth. "I was just thinking I would go and get a drink." He looked at Roald sharply and added, "_Enjoy yourselves_." With that, he was gone.

Roald led her out onto the dance floor. Knowing Roald was quite quiet, Kel took the initiative and began a conversation. "You're a page too, aren't you?" she asked politely. She felt Roald place a hand on her hip and tried to ignore the bizarre feeling it gave her. She'd never really thought of Roald, or any of her page friends except Neal, as boys. Well, she knew they were boys, she'd just never really thought of them as the kind of boys you'd have a relationship with.

Dancing with them like this, however, made her suddenly aware of what they might be thinking. Here was a pretty lady, dancing with them, with her face quite close to theirs. Kel drove her thoughts away from what else they might be thinking - Neal in particular, who seemed the most eager to keep her stuck to his side like a burr.

"I am, yes," he replied. "You've met most of the other pages, haven't you? I can see them over your shoulder."

"Really?" Kel said, pretending to be interested. "Are they looking at us?"

"Yes." He paused. "Neal is shooting glares at me."

Kel couldn't help but laugh. Roald was being anything but formal, which made her slightly more comfortable.

"The others are too," Roald added. "But Neal the most. I think he's quite taken with you." At that point in the dance they spun round 180 degrees, and Kel could then see everyone. Suddenly the glares morphed into forced smiles. She turned her attention back to Roald.

"Perhaps I should give you back before they get too jealous," he said. "I don't like to end a dance in the middle of a song, but there are others who want to talk to me, too." His gaze flicked to the left where hordes of nobles and scholars waited, occasionally glancing at Roald with a very deliberate look. "I hope you don't mind, Lady Mia." Kel shook her head quickly. "It was nice to meet you. Perhaps I will see you tomorrow?"

Kel nodded. "I hope so." Roald let his hands fall to his sides and he bowed. He only stuck around long enough to see her curtsy and then he strolled towards the waiting nobles. Kel was about to walk back to Neal's group when Merric intercepted.

"How about that dance?" he asked. Kel nodded and returned to the dancefloor, already feeling like her feet were covered in blisters.

After dancing with Merric it seemed like the floodgates opened and suddenly there seemed to be so many men asking for a dance that she barely had a second to breathe between each one. There were a couple of pages, several squires and quite a few knights, most of whom she'd never seen before in her life. Then there were a few young scholars and other noblemen, someone from the Own, and a merchant from Tyra. At one point she even saw Joren approaching, and she almost froze in fear, but someone got to her before him. Luckily he faded into the crowds and didn't try to approach again.

By the time she escaped the men and returned to Neal and the pages, the ball was ending and people were beginning to leave. Kel couldn't have been happier. She suspected she'd lost more weight dancing than she'd ever lost during all her page training put together. Fainting with relief seemed like a very good thing to do, though she restrained when she remembered that she'd be doing this all over again the next day.

"Lady Mia," said Neal's voice. Kel tugged herself back to reality. "Since you're new to the palace, you probably don't know the way to your rooms, and I'd hate for you to get lost. Could I escort you to your quarters?"

Kel blinked. There were two problems with accepting that: one, her rooms weren't in the guest wing as he probably suspected, they were in the page's wing. Which she couldn't go to without arousing considerable suspicion. And she could hardly let him lead her to the guest wing, stand outside a random door and then stand there waiting for him to go. He'd probably wait until she'd gone inside to make sure she hadn't lost her key or something.

And then there was the second problem: what he might try to do to her outside her room. Kiss her, maybe. Which would be bad. Very bad. If that happened, she'd probably spend all day during page lessons looking at Neal and thinking about how he'd kissed her, when he thought he'd kissed some beautiful, charming young lady fresh from the convent. And then he might also try to do more than just kiss her if Kel's feelings got the better of her and she kissed him back. Seeing as she was supposedly 16, he might think it perfectly acceptable to do far more than just kissing.

And that would be very, very bad.

"That's okay," she said firmly. "I'll just follow my friends from the convent back. Their rooms are next to mine, so..."

"Very well," Neal said, with no hint of upset at being rejected. He reached forward, took her hand, and kissed it gently. "I'll see you tomorrow, I hope?"

"Of course," Kel said shakily. After similar goodbyes from the other boys, she quickly lost herself in a crowd of giggling ladies and followed them halfway to the guest wing in case anyone was watching. Then she slipped into a side corridor and lingered there, waiting for all the pages to go back to their rooms so they wouldn't see her. Once she thought the coast was clear she swiftly walked toward the pages' wing, restraining the urge to run. Finally she got to her door and slipped inside, thanking all the gods for getting there unnoticed.

Lalasa sat in the window seat with a lamp beside her, with fabric laid over her lap and a needle in her hand. Outside the sun had set completely and the stars were out. It must have been very late. Seeing her, Lalasa lit another lamp and gave it to Kel.

"How was it, my lady?" she asked.

"Terrifying," Kel replied immediately.

Lalasa smiled brightly. "I'm sure tomorrow's ball will be better. I just need to go and borrow some thread from Tian, I won't be long." She gently laid down her work and slipped out the door.

Kel stood for a while, utterly exhausted. _I ought to get out this wig, I suppose. And wash off the face paint. _Slowly she walked to the privy with her lamp, tugged the wig off, and began to scrub at the face paint with a bowl of warm water that Lalasa must have brought up for her.

A knock on the door startled her. _It must be Lalasa, _she reminded herself. She looked at the wig, wondering what to do with it, and then picked it up and went to the door with her lamp. _I'll ask Lalasa where to put the wig._

Then she realised it couldn't be Lalasa at the door. Two male voices were talking outside. There was another knock.

"She's not answering," said Cleon's voice.

Kel froze in fear.

"Maybe she's asleep. It _is_ late," Roald's voice suggested.

_Go away, go away, go away, _Kel thought urgently, still holding the wig and the lamp shakily.

"Kel did say today she'd sleep while we were at the ball," Cleon said. "Do you think we should check? There's some light coming from under the door - maybe she fell asleep over her work with a lamp on." Kel hurried to snuff out her lamp, but it was already too late. They'd seen it.

There was a terrifying wait in complete and utter silence. Kel's heart was beating like an ominous drum.

Then the door opened a crack, and Roald's head peered in.

He squinted around the room for a while, and then his gaze settled on her. For a long time he seemed to stare at her, gaze flicking from her dress, then her face, then the wig in her hands. Then comprehension dawned on his face. He didn't say anything.

"Well?" Cleon's voice drifted in.

Roald bit his lip for a second and then said, "She's asleep in bed. We should go."

He stared at her again for what seemed like forever and then his head disappeared and the door shut gently.

Kel stood there, frozen in shock, still gripping the wig with white-knuckled hands.

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**Ah, what an evil cliffy. Anyway, I'm so sorry for the ridiculous wait. I'd like to thank **SarahE7191** for sending me a PM asking me to update, because it worked and I wrote this in two days. So I'm proud of myself. I've been planning further chapters and I have loads of ideas which led to my new saying "The evil plot bunnies are ravaging my carrot field of sanity". So yes, expect lots in the future :) Thanks for all the support over my hiatus, I hope to keep updating weekly. Please review and tell me if this chapter was worth the wait!**


	5. Chapter 5

**---------------Alter-Ego****---------------**  
**Chapter 5**

_Ugh. Won't they stop talking about her for one minute? Don't _I _exist anymore? _Kel poked at her porridge feebly. Since arriving at the mess hall before breakfast there had been only one topic of conversation for her friends: Mia. Only Roald and Cleon didn't join in - the redhead hadn't actually met her. The others, however, were more than raucous enough to make up for their two silent friends (three, if Kel was included). And so far (almost thirty minutes later) they still had not exhausted their endless lists of compliments and never-ending admiration for seemingly every single inch of Mia's amazingly perfect body and stunning hair and unimaginable beauty and pristine manners and every single movement she'd made and every single word she'd spoken. 

And yes, Kel was actually jealous of her. Jealous of what was essentially a manifestation of Kel's non-existent lady-like side. Jealous of someone who didn't actually exist, and when she did, it was only Kel in disguise. In an indirect way, they were actually complimenting Kel. But that was the thing; they weren't. Mia wasn't like Kel at all.

The night before, after Roald had left, Kel had considered what to do about his discovery, but had come up with no solution to the problem. Despite being sore and sleepy Kel had forced herself to scrawl out a few answers to the maths sums that were due in the next day, hopefully slicing down the amount of punishment work she would be given by a small amount. Then she'd fallen into bed, aching all over and praying that she wouldn't feel quite so tired in the morning.

Yet she still felt like she'd been trampled all over by Peachblossom when she woke up.

Kel squinted at her porridge with bleary eyes, sighed at her lack of appetite, and looked up.

Roald was watching her.

Kel flinched away from his gaze and pretended to be listening to the conversation about Mia.

"You were such a hog, Neal," Merric grumbled.

Neal grinned cheerily. "I wasn't hogging her. She was just more interested in me than you lot because I'm older."

"Well, let us young ones have a few minutes with her, at least."

Neal frowned as if reminded of something extremely depressing and said, "In ordinary circumstances I would, but she's leaving on Saturday. There's only today and tomorrow's balls, and then Mia will be gone forever." He stirred his porridge moodily. "It's just my luck that she'd be leaving. The only lady in the room that I like."

"She can't like you back, Neal, or she would've let you walk her to her rooms," Seaver said.

Neal was immediately bristling. "Well, you ask her tonight then, see if she doesn't reject you as well!" Suddenly Seaver didn't look quite as confident.

"I will!" Merric said.

Kel sighed and looked back at her porridge; she supposed she'd have to keep making excuses about being walked to her rooms. Then Cleon turned to her.

"How did your evening go last night?"

Kel smothered a yawn and replied, "Oh, I got loads of sleep. I'm glad I stayed behind."

He looked at her solemnly. "My offer still stands tonight," he said, avoiding making eye contact with Kel for more than a few seconds at a time. "You know, to stay behind with you. I don't mind."

Kel slipped her eyes away from his gaze, not liking having to lie, but she almost immediately met Roald's piercing eyes and dragged hers back to Cleon's again.

"No, it's okay. I wouldn't want you to miss out on any fun on account of me."

Cleon shrugged and turned back to his porridge.

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"And where, pray tell, are _your _sums, Hollyrose?"

Merric faced Master Ivor courageously. "I didn't do them, sir."

They all knew Master Ivor's reply - he'd gone through this conversation with three others already and each had said the same. "Why not?"

Merric lifted his shoulders and answered, "I forgot. Sir."

"One bell of punishment work on Sunday, Hollyrose. Training Master Wyldon will assign you some after dinner," Master Ivor said. His tone was sceptical, as if he didn't think there'd be enough punishment work to go round. He turned on Kel. "And you, Keladry of Mindelan? Did you also experience temporary memory loss yesterday evening?"

Kel extended a hand silently, not trusting the side of her that had been most influenced by Neal to burst out with some snide remark in reply. Master Ivor took the crumpled, ink-blotted sheet of sums from her hand and surveyed it with a critical eye.

"At least you did the sums, I suppose, but I don't remember specifying that you should leave them in a pigsty over night."

From the corner of her eye, Kel spotted Neal giving their maths teacher an admiring look. Perhaps Master Ivor would become his new idol in the field of sardonic comment creation.

_I don't remember Master Ivor ever being this sarcastic, _Kel thought, intimidated despite herself.

"How did your work become so messy?"

No point in making up excuses - "I don't know, sir."

He raised his winged eyebrows and said, "Half a bell of punishment work." Then he moved onto Roald. "Immaculate, as always," he announced crisply, placing Roald's sums on top of Kel's. "Very good."

However, his praise didn't extend to anyone else. Kel and Roald had been the only ones to actually do the sums. As Master Ivor returned to the front of the class to put away the two sheets of sums he'd collected Kel heard him mutter, "At this rate, every servant in the palace will be out of a job."

The pages all returned to their seats, breathing a sigh of relief. For the homework collection they had all filed into the classroom and stood at the back as if a squad of archers were going to appear in front of them and shoot them dead. (A medieval shooting squad xD)

Neal slid into his seat beside Kel cheerily. Master Ivor began to drone on about some sort of algebra. Instantly Neal's attention slid away to nothingness and he began whispering to the others. At one point he turned to Kel and asked, "How come your work was such a mess? You had ages last night to do it."

Kel sighed. "I was tired and bored, so I did it as quickly as I could."

Neal didn't appear to notice her impatient and irritated tone. "If you were bored, you should have gone to the ball," he informed her sincerely. "There was this amazing lady, Kel, you should've seen her." He paused, looked around conspicuously, and then leaned in closer. Kel was suddenly reminded of her crush on him. "In fact, I was writing some poetry this morning to her, and since you normally listen to my poems I thought you could maybe tell me if it's okay. Personally I think I've improved rather a lot."

Then he began to recite his poem, so far consisting of seven verses. One verse was repeated several times throughout, and stuck in Kel's head long after the lesson in Neal's lamenting chant, complete with his usual atrocious rhyming skills: _Mia, oh Mia, you live so far away/ But I would like to kiss your lips every single day/Nothing would make me happier than being with you forever/if only you would stay in Tortall so we can be together._

Kel scrunched her nose up, not liking most of the emotions besieging her. "You really like her that much?"

An all too familiar lovelorn expression crossed Neal's face. "You wouldn't understand, Kel, if you'd been there you would. She's amazing."

Kel frowned. "Well, I'm glad you had such a wondrous time," she said, barely disguised sarcasm gripping to each word. "My evening was positively stupendous too."

----------------------------------------------------------

It was now the last lesson of the day: etiquette, with Master Oakbridge. Somehow the other pages were still discussing Mia, plunging into very in-depth detail about every thing about her they admired. Kel sighed and hoped she wouldn't give them anything new to talk about tomorrow.

Oakbridge was talking in the usual, dull tone employed every lesson that could easily send the most eager of students to sleep. From what Kel could pick up he was talking about the order in which carriages passed out the palace gates. Some people, it seemed, always had priority, whether they were on urgent business or not.

Somehow, Kel couldn't concentrate even half as much as usual because everything that had gone wrong that day seemed to flash back in front of her eyes. Probably the most prominent disaster of the day was Roald, who always seemed to have an eye on her with a thoughtful sheen to his eyes. More than once she had bumped into a wall or post while trying to escape his notice. Then there were her sore feet, which ached from dancing all night. Wyldon had been quick to comment on her fumbling footsteps that morning in training. Chances were her feet would be even sorer the next day after another night of dancing (Kel could hear his insulting bark already). And finally there was the way she was constantly ignored - the way Neal looked right through her as he daydreamed of Mia on his arm, the way she'd finally pluck up the courage to try and change the subject from Mia, only for it to change straight back and completely throw Kel from the conversation.

_And yet I'm not going to stop being Mia. For one thing, the boys would be devastated if she just left without telling anyone. Neal would be grieving for weeks. And also Lalasa would be disappointed. She's been working late on dresses for me and it's not like I'll get to wear them anytime soon otherwise. Like she said, I'd grow out of them by then anyway. _Kel sighed. No matter how much she hated it, it didn't seem like she really had any choice. At times like this, caring about other peoples' feelings was really inconvenient.

"Gods, I can't wait until tonight," Neal was saying.

Merric nodded eagerly. "Me either."

"Apparently the Tyran prince is attending tonight," Seaver said.

The boys exchanged wary looks.

"He won't, will he?" Merric asked.

Kel listened, unsure of what he meant. The Tyran prince won't what?

"He'd better not," Neal announced aggressively. "If he takes a liking to Mia I'll strangle him."

_Oh, _Kel thought. _They think he might become interested in Mia. And spend ages with her, so Neal and the others can't. But being a prince, he won't be able to hang around with her for long, will he? But... he won't like her anyway. Well, I hope not. Because I don't think I could deal with that. Neal would be ranting about it all tomorrow and probably after, too._

"I just know it," Neal continued. "He'll hog her _all evening._"

"Speak for yourself," Faleron said.

Deep within the palace, the bell rang.

The boys all suddenly stopped talking and pretended to be taking notes. Oakbridge cast his stern gaze over their row and then told them to pack up. Within minutes they were filing out the classroom. Kel followed impatiently, wanting to hurry off to her room as quickly as possible. Lalasa had warned that the dress she had constructed might require a few adjustments so Kel had better hurry back.

When Kel finally stepped out, most of the pages were long gone. Cleon was dawdling.

And Roald was standing right by the door. Waiting for her.

"A word please, Kel?"

Kel froze. A few metres ahead, Cleon looked over his shoulder at them speculatively, then strolled away at full speed. Once he'd rounded the corner, the hall was empty except for Kel and Roald.

She found herself fidgeting. "I'm kind of in a rush," she replied evasively, hovering in the direction of her rooms.

"Yes, I know," Roald said. There wasn't a trace of emotion on his face. "I know you're Mia."

There was a pause. "I know you know I'm Mia," she said finally.

He smiled wryly. "I was quite surprised," he admitted. She could hear the curiosity in his voice. He wanted to know why she was doing it.

"It wasn't exactly my idea," she explained. "My maid assumed I was going to the balls, but I didn't want to. You and the others - well, not you specifically, you kind of have to because you're the prince, but - you're always fawning over the court ladies. So I didn't want to go because I thought I'd get lonely. Except my maid Lalasa had already made me a dress, and I felt really guilty about it. And then she suggested it. I... I just kind of went along with it."

"That's not like you," Roald remarked.

Kel thought about it for a bit. "No, I don't suppose it is." Again, a silence stretched out. Kel didn't know what to say. "Um... so, you won't tell anyone?"

"Of course not," he said. He appeared to consider saying something more, then decided against it and began to walk away. But then he paused and turned to face her again, sweeping a hand through his hair like Neal did when he was nervous. "The Lioness did a similar thing when she was training to be a Knight, too."

Kel stared at him in disbelief. "Really?"

He nodded. "My father found out." A faint smile crossed his lips as he added, "By accident."

Kel smiled, amused. "It's almost like we're following in their footsteps, isn't it?"

Suddenly Roald's face was blank. Kel, dismayed, wondered if she had done something wrong.

"Well, I'd better go and get ready," she said eventually.

"Yeah," Roald said. "Me too. See you later." He turned and walked away.

Kel watched his back for a while. At the last moment, their conversation had suddenly slowed to a trickle as tension filled the air. Maybe it was what she said? "It's almost like we're following in their footsteps, isn't it?" But... what was wrong with that? It wasn't an insult. Even if it had been offensive Roald would have known she hadn't meant it that way.

Mystified, Kel hurried back to her rooms.

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**By the way, I think Roald would probably know about Alanna and Jon having a relationship. Even if he hadn't been told, he's a smart guy, I think he could probably work it out by watching them. (So... "following in their footsteps" suggests...) So yeah. Anyway, the next chapter is going to be pretty mad. Seriously. I'll probably have it posted by next Friday (I hope). I have all weekend to write so it might be done before then.  
**

**So, anyway, a few people have asked about **the pairing**, I'm not sure what it's going to be and I want to keep people guessing so I've decided to leave several characters that could end up with Kel, and then decide which one should end up with her when the time is right. For this reason I can't divulge information on the pairing because I don't know it myself. However pairing votes are appreciated (give me some hints here! I'll count them up and they **will **affect the end pairing, so please offer your opinion!) and as usual reviews are lovely, thanks to everyone who reviewed last time and put this story on alert and whatnot. See you next week!**


	6. Chapter 6

**---------------Alter-Ego****---------------**  
**Chapter 6  
**

Kel peered over the many heads and marvelled at the size of the crowd squashed into the room. Finely dressed nobles milled around, chatting as they waited for their turn to be announced. As she stepped through the small doorway to wait with them, Kel felt the rise in temperature and suddenly found it very hard to breathe (although that could also be attributed to the choking whale-bone corset Lalasa had forced her into earlier that evening).

For that night's ball, Lalasa had created a periwinkle blue gown of plain muslin and a delicate surcoat of a paler blue with silver embroidery. Kel's maid had looked absolutely exhausted as she stood behind Kel and half-heartedly tugged at her corset laces. Concerned, Kel had admonished Lalasa for staying up so late to finish the dress. "Don't work yourself so hard," she advised. "It's only a dress."

From the expression on her face, Lalasa clearly didn't agree. Then she had seemed to remember that Kel could see everything in the mirror, and all emotion was quickly wiped from her face. "But tomorrow is the last ball, my Lady. Your last dress should be better than all the others." When Kel had continued to look disapprovingly at her maid, Lalasa had looked back stubbornly. "It's just one more dress, my Lady."

Sighing, Kel had given in, concentrating on the more urgent matter of trying to breathe through her strangled lungs.

Looking around the room, Kel couldn't see anyone she recognised. Before she could even begin to worry about being announced alone, however, someone appeared at her side. Neal greeted her and expressed surprise at her being alone.

"I don't know many people here," Kel said in way of explanation.

Neal looked at her. "You know me."

Kel paused as if she hadn't been expecting that reply at all. In truth it had been obvious to Kel that he would prod at the idea they were announced together. Although severely tempted to say she'd rather go in alone, Kel smiled and went along with his idea. "In that case, we could go in together."

Neal grinned. "Sounds like a logical solution," he agreed, despite obviously being the one to initiate the suggestion. While they waited for their turn to be announced, they talked to Neal's friends or important people who somehow managed to worm their way into Kel and Neal's conversation. While Neal seemed eager to keep her interested and insert witty comments every few moments (to which Kel feigned laughter at), she couldn't help but find her attention waning.

When they eventually descended the stairs, Kel was dismayed to see a sea of heads turn to look up at her in perfect synchronisation, their eyes glinting eerily. They gathered and swarmed to the bottom of the stairs, ready to engulf her and feverishly announce their names and status in the Tortallan court. Kel was overwhelmed, not sure how to dissipate the crowd without seeming unlady-like. Neal just looked on, scowling.

Kel could only hear fragments of their sentences as they all struggled to speak at the same time. She restrained a frown. "I'm sorry, I can't hear. Can you not all speak at the same time?" she pleaded, though none of them appeared to hear. She looked across to Neal for help but he was still scowling into the distance, making no effort to rescue her. _This is the perfect moment to get into my good books, you fool! _she thought, narrowing her eyes at him. _Do something!_

Someone grabbed her arm. She moved to shake them off, impatience getting the better of her, then realised who it was.

"Excuse me," Roald said loudly. The crowd of men backed off instantly, most clearly irritated at the interruption. They begrudgingly cleared the way to allow the prince to move to Kel's side. "Sorry to interrupt, but I've been meaning to have a word with Lady Mia. We won't be long." Kel followed gratefully as he led them away to an uncrowded side of the room, fetching drinks from a servant along the way. He grinned at Kel's relieved face as she sipped from her glass.

"I thought you looked a bit overwhelmed, so I decided to step in."

"Thanks. I'm glad you did," Kel said. She glanced back at the crowd of men, who were shooting undisguised looks of fury at the prince. "Neal didn't seem particularly motivated to help me out."

Roald's face lost all amusement at the mention of Neal. He hesitated. "About Neal..." he began, then stopped again. He swilled the sweet, exotic fruit juice around in his glass. "You should be careful. It's... quite clear that he likes Mia. Maybe you like him back, that's none of my business, but being in your position it would be... advisable to think twice about - becoming involved with him. Romantically, I mean. Or with anyone else, for that matter. Not that you can't if you want to, I just think it might make things awkward for you after the balls are over."

Kel digested what he'd said. _I guess I understand where he's coming from, _she thought to herself. Roald was still observing his fruit juice. _If I... kissed Neal. As Mia. Then... I would be thinking about it when I'm with him in page lessons, but he wouldn't know it was me, unless I told him. Which would be awkward. _She wasn't quite sure how to approach a reply, so she tried to laugh it off, albeit rather nervously. "Oh, don't worry, being Mia is enough trouble as it is. I don't plan to do anything more than dance with everyone," she said. "But thanks for your concern. I'm glad someone's looking out for me. And... I'm glad you found out. Lalasa is the only other person who knows, and she's not much support back in my rooms while I'm here."

Roald appeared to have recovered from his earlier hesitation to his more distant, regal self. This time his attention was focused on the crowd of nobles near the stairs. "I can't stay long, though. I have the duty of introducing the Tyran prince to everyone here, and he's due to arrive soon."

"It's alright," a voice said behind them. Roald stared, wide-eyed, as a young man dressed in a regal tunic of green and gold stepped around Kel. "I am already here." He bowed slightly to Roald. "A pleasure to see you again, Prince Roald."

Roald returned the bow at almost the exact same angle. "And you, Prince Ozen. You're earlier than I expected."

Prince Ozen grinned, mischievousness dancing across his handsome face. "I wanted to surprise you." Then his gaze slipped to Kel, indicating he'd like Roald to introduce her to him. The Tortallan prince was quick to oblige.

"This is my friend, Lady Mia of Polar's Cliff. Lady Mia, Prince Ozen of Tyra."

Kel curtsied as low as she could on her aching legs, at the same time offering her hand so that he could kiss it. _He must be quite the ladie's man back home, _Kel thought discreetly, unable to stop herself admiring his dashing good looks. "It's an honour to meet you, Your Highness."

Prince Ozen just smiled. "If I had known such a beautiful lady is staying at the palace of Tortall, I would have persuaded my father to arrange a visit sooner." Kel suddenly found her admiration melt away. It seemed he was just another man complimenting Mia, judging her for her looks and nothing else. Kel's discontent at all the attention Mia was getting became stronger. Ozen hadn't noticed that she wasn't listening to him at all, but Roald was watching her sharply. Kel quickly tuned back into the conversation.

"I'm afraid your regrets are wasted, Prince Ozen," Roald was saying, with a hint of satisfaction. "Lady Mia arrived at the palace only a few days ago, and she'll be leaving again in a few more."

Ozen looked surprised. "You won't even be staying until the end of my visit?"

"I'd like to return home to Galla as soon as possible," Kel replied. Now that she had told this lie several times it came a lot easier to her. "I'm afraid I didn't realise the embassy was visiting until I arrived, and now, unfortunately, it is too late for me to change my plans and return home later."

"Ah," Ozen said, mirroring the disappointment Kel had seen on the faces of everyone else when she'd informed them she was leaving soon. "Then I had best fit in all the dancing I can before you leave. How would you like to be my first dance partner in Tortall?"

Kel moulded a smile onto her face. "I am honoured," she said humbly. "I would like that very much."

Ozen grinned, taking her hands to lead her away to the dancefloor. Kel caught a fleeting glance of Roald, face blank, disappearing into the crowd of nobles and important scholars, and then he was gone, and dancing demanded her attention. Ozen was keen to lead the dance all around the dancefloor as if to show as many people as possible that he was dancing with Mia. After Kel had settled into the steps of the dance, they made a second circuit of the floor and Kel kept an eye out for people she knew. Neal and his gang were watching enviously, and the crowd of men who had attacked her at the bottom of the steps, though dispersed, were all looking her way.

Kel couldn't see Roald at all. She was a bit concerned; she felt guilty that she had abandoned him to dance with Ozen, but what else could she have done? He was a Prince. She could hardly refuse a dance with him. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she could swear that Roald had looked a bit irritated as he retreated to the crowd of nobles after Ozen had dragged her to the dancefloor. Kel knew that he probably understood she couldn't turn down Ozen, but decided that she would apologise to him later anyway.

Ozen's voice broke her thoughts. "For someone who has only been at the palace a few days, you seem to be very good friends with Prince Roald."

Kel tried not to look surprised. "What makes you say that?"

"Just an observation I made earlier," Ozen answered smoothly. He looked at her expectantly, still wanting an explanation to his first statement.

"I... Prince Roald has been very kind to me. I've never been to the palace before, and he helped me out a little..."

Ozen didn't seem convinced. "I see," he said. He abruptly changed the subject. "So, tell me about Galla and -- what was it, Polar's Cliff?"

"Yes," Kel said calmly, though inside her heart was pounding like a drum. Why was everyone interrogating her about Galla? "My fief is very small... most people haven't heard of it, even in Galla." (That was her safety net, in case anyone asked of Polar's Cliff: then hopefully they wouldn't be too surprised if they were told it didn't exist.) Her sentences seemed to get shorter and shorter as she strained to think of something to say. "It's pretty and tranquil. There aren't many people in the village, but I like them all. They're kind."

"I thought there's quite a big rift between nobles and commoners in Galla?"

Kel froze. Now that she thought about it, she remembered Daine saying something about how you couldn't even pay nobles to talk to commoners back in her home country. "There is, but my father has worked hard to make the rift smaller."

Ozen's face was gentler. "It's a shame you have to return home to him so quickly. The embassy won't be leaving for another five days."

Kel perked up. No one had told her that. She'd thought that they would leave on Saturday, after the last ball. "Really? Why not?"

"The officials need longer to talk with King Jonathon and Queen Thayet. I think some other events in the evening have been arranged, but I've no clue what they might be. A banquet, maybe."

Ozen suddenly let her go. With a start, Kel realised the song had ended. He bowed, and she replied with a curtsy.

"I hope we can dance together again before the ball ends," he said, smiling. "I'll come and find you when I can escape all the nobles I'm supposed to be sucking up to."

"I'll look forward to it," Kel replied. As Ozen walked away, she turned and was met by the sight of a dozen men, strolling towards her purposefully. Kel sighed and gathered all her strength. Her feet were aching already.

An hour later, the flow of men asking for a dance had not slowed, and Kel was in the middle of a large crowd consisting of seemingly hundreds of men all fighting for her attention. She'd already danced with half of them and therefore felt there was no reason for them to be clamouring over her when they'd already had their turn. Kel's irritation was slowly mounting. If it went on much longer, she was sure that she'd end up doing something extremely rash. Like storming out the room, or revealing that she wasn't really the pretty, demure lady they all thought she was.

Another person waded into the crowd. It turned out, however, to be Prince Ozen. He quickly explained to the other men that he had promised to dance with her again. Kel made sure to call him "Prince Ozen" in a very loud voice so no one would try to bother them as they left again to the dance floor. _Funny, _thought Kel, _this is the second time I've been rescued by a prince today._

It took half a minute for Kel to realise Ozen had veered away from the dance floor and they were now headed for the exit.

"These Tortallan men are a little enthusiastic," he remarked as they walked. When they reached the doors, he stopped and turned to look at her. "They've worn you out. Rather than make you even more tired by dancing with you, I think I'll suggest you retire for the night."

"But--"

Ozen shook his head, amused. "If you go now, you'll have more energy tomorrow. Then you can make up for the dance I'm missing now."

Kel had to reluctantly admit to herself that she was really tired. Climbing into bed was, in fact, the only thing she'd been thinking about all day, and trying to stay attentive while daydreaming of sinking onto the soft, cool mattress of her bed had been becoming more and more difficult as the ball went on. "I suppose you're right," she agreed eventually. "Thank you."

He grinned. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. Don't be late." Kel curtsied and stepped out into the significantly darker, quieter hall. When she looked back, Prince Ozen was still at the doors, watching her go. She waved and hurried on. A little energy returned to her step as she anticipated the bliss of finally slipping under the sheets and feeling her whole body tingle in relief. Even the knowledge that she'd be returning to the ball the next night didn't dampen her excitement; at least it was the last one. One more night, and then she could completely forget about the whole nightmare experience: pretending to be Mia, dancing with men who stared a little too avidly at her cleavage as they danced, making up details on the spot about places in Galla that didn't actually exist, and avoiding Neal like the plague because he annoyed her by complimenting Mia all the time...

Come to think of it, Kel had been so annoyed with Neal recently that she had barely thought about him in a romantic light. Suddenly she thought, m_aybe I just don't like him like that anymore. _Kel was so startled she almost tripped over her skirts. After so long, it seemed odd that her crush might have finally disappeared.

Kel was so absorbed in her thoughts that she forgot all caution and didn't bother looking round to check no one was watching as she walked back to the pages' rooms.

"Lady Mia."

Kel panicked. She knew only one person who owned such a cold, stinging voice: Joren. Inside she scolded herself for her ignorance; if she had kept a lookout and noticed him tailing her earlier, she might have been able to escape or at least hide in the women's baths until the coast was clear.

She turned and pretended not to recognise him. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Joren just ignored her. "Where are you going? This is the way to the pages' rooms." Kel knew straight away that he was suspicious. The tone he used was malicious, and he was walking towards her swiftly as if she might turn to escape, even though Kel was glued to the spot in panic.

"It is? Gods, this palace is so large, I wonder how anyone learns where everything--"

"I don't think so," he interrupted, sneering. "You didn't look at all lost before I approached you."

_What in Tortall does he think he's doing? _she thought. He was closing in on her, forcing her to back up towards the wall behind her in order to keep some space between them. Inside she was more terrified than she'd ever been in her life. Fighting and war didn't faze her, but this did. _What if he _knows? she thought, petrified in fear. _What if he knows I'm Kel?_

"In fact," he continued, "you looked quite confident that you were going the right way."

"I thought I was," Kel stammered wildly. "I--"

"Shut up," he ordered. "There's no point lying about it." By now he had her pressed right up against the wall, the cold stone making shivers run up her spine. He continued to close in until she could see every fleck of colour in his icy eyes. "Look at me." Kel refused to, squirming away when he tried to grip her chin so he could turn her head.

Even though he was only stopping one of her arms from moving (he'd let the other go to grab her chin), Kel couldn't bring herself to retaliate. He clearly wasn't expecting her to attack so even just a kick in the shin would probably get him off her. But for some reason Kel was finding it extremely difficult to move her limbs, despite the fact that they weren't being restricted at all.

_And what is he doing anyway? Even if he knows I'm Kel, he knows I'm still a noble. He knows I still have rights. He could be seriously punished if he does anything to me. _A small amount of determination returned to Kel. _I won't let him do anything. I'm a page, not a court lady. I can fight back._

He moved even closer.

"Stone Mountain," someone said coldly.

Joren looked at Kel threateningly and then spun around to face the newcomer. "Got a problem, King's Reach?"

_Faleron. _Kel sighed with relief. Suddenly it was a lot easier to breathe. With Joren distracted, Kel edged out of his grip.

"No, I don't have a problem," Faleron replied. "I was just observing that Lady Mia doesn't appear to be enjoying your attention."

"Maybe you observed wrong," Joren shot back.

Faleron didn't skip a beat. "Maybe you should leave her alone."

Joren considered for a moment, his face murderous. Kel was expecting him to fly at Faleron with his fists, so when he didn't it surprised her. Instead he stalked away in the direction of the ball, his arms shaking in anger and his fists clenched. He didn't look back.

Kel leaned against the wall dizzily.

"Are you alright?" Faleron asked, walking towards her. When she didn't look up, he touched her arm. Kel realised he was expecting a reply.

"I'm fine," she said, looking up at him. His brow was creased in concern. "Thank you."

"Joren is rotten," Faleron told her. "You should stay away from him."

"I know, Neal told me. I didn't think he'd be following me."

Faleron's gaze moved to the corridor that Joren had disappeared down. "He's probably taken a detour to the guest's rooms. He'll be waiting to catch you again, I bet. I'll take you to your rooms - just to be safe."

"Oh," said Kel, taken by surprise. She was running out of excuses to refuse being escorted to her rooms.

"That won't be necessary," someone refused for her. Kel and Faleron turned to look at the newcomer. Roald was striding down the hall towards them, his regal face on. He barely glanced at Faleron. "You can go back to the ball now," he said dismissively. "I'll take Mia to her rooms. We'll have to be quick, though." When he reached Kel's side and she still hadn't moved, he grabbed her hand and began to propel her along the hall. "I have to be back in five minutes or they'll notice I'm gone," he explained to Kel, who was barely keeping up.

Faleron was still standing there, watching her being dragged off. "Thanks again for helping me," Kel called to him. He waved and began to walk away.

"Sorry I didn't get there earlier," Roald apologised. He was looking ahead instead of at her. "I saw Joren leave after you, and didn't think he could be up to any good, but it took me a while to extract myself from my conversation."

"It's okay. I could have handled it," Kel lied. It wasn't strictly true as she'd been paralysed in fear. "Faleron turned up anyway."

They'd reached the page's wing. Kel's room was right at the other end. "What did Joren do?" Roald asked.

"He backed me up to the wall, asking me about why I was going to the page's wing. He said he knew I was lying." Kel paused. "I'm not sure, but I think he might know."

Roald's hand suddenly tightened around hers. "I'll have to keep an eye out, then," he said. Kel looked at his face, but it betrayed little emotion, only determination. "Be careful tomorrow." They had reached Kel's door. He dropped her hand quickly. "He might be waiting for you here. I could come to pick you up from your rooms, and then he won't have a chance to do anything to you."

"Oh," Kel said. Her whole body felt uncomfortably warm. "Thanks."

"You'll have to be ready early, though," he warned. "Otherwise the other pages will start coming out, and we can't let them see you come out your rooms."

Kel laughed. "This is getting complicated. I'm glad it's nearly over."

Roald was smiling too. "It will be quite an achievement if no one else finds out. Maybe we should celebrate."

The faint sound of footsteps interrupted them before Kel could reply.

"Well, I'll meet you here tomorrow, then," Roald said shortly. He was already walking away. "Sleep well."

Kel fled into the safety of her room before the owner of the footsteps came round the corner.

Once safely locked inside, she breathed a sigh of relief and began to remove the wig. Lalasa looked up from her seat near the window and asked why Kel was back early. Kel didn't think she had the energy to explain. "Help me out of this dress, will you?" she asked. "I think I'll drop dead if I'm not in bed soon."

Even though Lalasa was staying up to complete the last dress with the aid of a bright lamp, Kel fell asleep almost as soon as she clambered into bed.

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**So, once again I disappeared for a bit. It was exam season, got pretty stressful. But now it's nearing the end of the school year, not much work to do so updates will be speeding up probably. Anyhoo, thanks for all the reviews and stuff for last chapter. We broke 100 reviews. I've only broken it once before (on Euphoria), so it's still a big deal. Maybe I can break 200 this time? Also since the introduction of the new email alerts I've been noticing the people adding my story to their alerts and favourites so thanks for that too. Thanks for pairings votes as well, I think it's quite obvious what the majority want... So, I'm not going to make any promises about updates, but please review to inspire me for chapter 7 :)  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**--Alter-Ego****--**  
**Chapter 7**

From the thunderous scowl on Neal's face, Kel could tell that Ozen's actions at the ball the night before had _not_ gone down well. "It's _unbelievable_," Neal spat furiously, thrusting his spoon into his porridge. "Bloody ridiculous. Of _course_ he took a shine to Mia, it was so obvious; I should've taken my practice sword and hacked his eyes out before he had a chance to set them on her."

The others sat at the breakfast table in silence, petrified that if they spoke, Neal would turn his wrath on them instead. An awkward sympathy radiated from the other boys, while Kel kept her head down, barely able to keep her eyes open. Though she had escaped the ball early thanks to Ozen's encouragement, the encounter with Joren had left her shaken and then troubled. Exhaustion had swamped her thoughts when she first slipped into bed, and she had surrendered to sleep quickly. But then a fragmented nightmare woke her, the details of which now escaped her, and she had not been able to drop off again due to a sense of foreboding that remained from her dreams. She knew sleep would not answer her beckon until she resolved the mysteries of Joren's words and the depth of his knowledge.

The Stone Mountains were shrewd, and their connections ran thickly throughout the Palace and those in its employ. It was possible Kel's secret had been leaked - perhaps someone had seen her emerge from her rooms dressed as Mia, and questioned why a respectable noblewoman would have been paying a visit to the disgraced Girl page. From previous scuffles between Joren and Kel, the news of which had circulated the palace's population several times over, everyone would know that bizarre and uncommon events relating to Keladry of Mindelan would surely be of interest to Joren of Stone Mountain. There was no doubt he could (and would) pay to hear such information.

Perhaps, even, he had figured it out himself. If he had been keeping a close enough eye on her, he would have noticed Kel's odd behaviour over the past few days. Perhaps he had noted sneakier things - how Mia conveniently disappeared each evening after she left the ball, and reappeared as she went to the next, never being seen at other times and not seeming to know any other nobles. Further investigation would reveal that she didn't even have a guest room in the Palace, and nobody had seen her arrive. Add that to any sightings of her regularly going in or out of Kel's rooms (though she had tried her best not to be seen, she couldn't be completely sure) and the correlation between Kel and Mia's physical attributes such as height and build, and it would all sum up to be pretty suspicious, with one key suspect.

The only conclusion Kel had come to was that she was doing something unbelievably stupid. Maybe the Lioness had pretended to be a boy from the moment she entered the Palace to the moment she gained her Knighthood, but at least she'd only changed her gender so she at least had a background. Juggling two selves, one of whom had only come into being a few days ago, was overwhelmingly difficult. How she'd managed to pull it off up until now was a mystery even to Kel. She could only hope that nobody would start to question Mia before Kel could finally be rid of her.

In any case, she couldn't be sure about what Joren knew, so for now, she'd just have to wait and see. It was almost dawn before Kel finally accepted this, so then she had risen, performed a quick pattern dance to clear her head, and begun to get ready for breakfast. Though she had been quite refreshed earlier, an overdue weariness was already creeping in, which led to her current torpid state over her porridge.

It seemed Neal was still grumbling. "And the _worst_ thing is that _I_ got announced with Mia, but the moment we got to the bottom of the stairs, a bunch of her rabid admirers swept her away! I barely had a word with her, let alone a dance! It's not fair. Then Roald, the lucky bugger, stepped in like some gallant fairytale Prince and rescued her from all the salivating fools banging heads over who got to dance with her first… then she only seemed to have eyes for _him _- at least until Ozen stepped in, anyway."

Finally someone else piped up; it was Faleron, who up till now had sat quietly with the others. He quickly related the story of how he had come across Mia being interrogated by Joren and had told him to leave, when Roald stepped in and took her back to her rooms. Though Faleron's telling of the tale was a very neutral account, revealing no spite towards Roald for stealing Mia away, Neal apparently took it that inside, Faleron was secretly burning with hatred.

Neal stirred his porridge disinterestedly and noted, apparently to no-one in particular, though the volume was quite loud enough for Roald to hear, "Well, I hope he doesn't get _too_ excited. He is going to have an arranged marriage, after all."

Kel was suddenly bristling with anger, her lethargy forgotten. "Neal, you're acting like a spoilt brat," she declared loudly, much to the surprise of her year-mates. "That's the kind of petty conduct I'd expect from my youngest relations." He gaped at her, his mouth falling open to such a degree that the back of his throat became visible to anyone who cared to look. "I'm disappointed that you've become so shallow over some court lady," Kel added, before returning her attention to her breakfast. She avoided the gazes of everyone save Roald; they probably thought she'd gone mad overnight to show so much emotion in one go, but when she met Roald's eyes, he smiled warmly, appreciation thawing his regal façade. Kel allowed the corners of her lips to rise slightly in reply, then she occupied herself with eating, hoping to bestow some much-needed energy to her bone-weary body.

Though still a little irritated by Neal's words at breakfast, Kel partnered with him for most of the training that morning, since their abilities were at similar levels. He did not say anything, but Neal looked thoroughly sorry for himself, keeping his eyes down and his defence feeble. Kel didn't have the heart to give him a good thrashing - he had so many openings in his current state, Kel could have had him unconscious on the floor in a flash - but nor did she want to forgive him until he apologised for saying such things about Roald. They continued to spar inattentively, practice swords occasionally faltering as a thought consumed them.

It seemed he finally caved in. "Kel, about earlier," he began, his earnest eyes asking her attention. "I'm sorry for being so immature. I am but a fool in love. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty--"

"Stop gossiping, Queenscove!" Wyldon bellowed, drawing a snicker from some of the other pages. "We have visitors!" His warning acted only as a further distraction as Neal stopped completely to allow his eyes to scour the area, finally landing on a group of people being led down a path from the Palace.

As they drew closer, Kel recognised several of the faces from the group; Tyran courtiers, it seemed, and, at their head, Prince Ozen. Recalling the night before and the dance they had shared, his handsome face so very close to hers, Kel could not extinguish the blush that flourished in her cheeks.

Despite her best efforts to hide it, Neal noticed quickly. A snide comment escaped his lips, prior apology forgotten. "Oh, don't tell me _you're_ falling for him too," he seethed.

"I'm surprised you even realised I'm capable of something so feminine," Kel found herself replying. It was the second time Neal's jaw had dropped to the floor that day, and it was just as gratifying as the first. Somehow, it seemed that this was revenge for all the time she had mooned over him while he had been blissfully ignorant, his attention occupied by so many others. Her alter-ego, Mia, may have snared his feelings, but it only made Kel hate Neal more; he had the choice of two people, both almost identical, except one was his comrade and friend, and one was a stranger, and plastered in face paint. And he preferred the latter.

Kel noted belatedly that the other boys were leaving the practice court, anticipating a quick bath and some hot food in their stomachs. She followed them, not looking back at Neal. Despite the satisfaction her retort had brought, she feared that should she try to talk to him further, it would only ignite her temper once again. Perhaps she no longer liked Neal romantically, and thought him fickle and shallow, but she wanted to keep their friendship. Better to cool off before she confronted him once more.

Roald appeared at her side, a crease of concern in his brow. "Are you okay?" he asked. "I heard you blow up at Neal just now."

"I'm fine," she informed him discreetly, wary of the presence of others. "I just got impatient. The events in Neal's life are normally quite comical; it just doesn't seem funny when my feelings are involved, and he's clueless."

Roald offered an encouraging smile. "Well, take it easy. You seem tired."

"I am," Kel admitted. "Mithros knows how I'm going to get through tonight."

"We'll manage," Roald said.

"I hope so," Kel replied, managing a feeble smile. "Anyway, we part ways here. I'll see you at lunch."

Roald bade her a similar farewell before they took different paths - Kel to her rooms, and Roald to the baths. As she ascended the usual route, she remembered the group of Tyran courtiers and Prince Ozen, who were apparently on a tour of the Palace. She paused momentarily to search them out. They weren't difficult to spot, though the distance between them made making out faces a challenge. Kel squinted, then, turning swiftly as though alarmed by what she had seen, she fled up the path.

Was it just Kel's imagination, or had Ozen been staring right at her?

* * *

**Phew! It sure has been a while since I updated this story. (Like... nine months!!) Well, here's my treat to you! I'm afraid another update drought awaits you - I've got to get my exam head on because the next three months are going to be GCSEs, GCSEs, and more GCSEs. Sigh. Anyway, how was the chapter? Kel is a bit OOC in here, I suppose... though I think my writing has matured a little (or maybe that's just my imagination.) Anyhow, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their support in advance, since you probably won't hear anything from me until July at least. Best of luck to everyone (those who are taking exams this year in particular)!! Thank you for reading!!**


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